CBI Investigation into Sexual Assault Video Mandated, Amit Shah Announces Centre’s Plan for Trial Outside Manipur

The Home Minister’s remarks come when the government is facing a no-confidence motion in Parliament over the situation in Manipur with the Opposition demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House.

There have been allegations of bias and inffectiveness against the N Biren Singh government in Manipur with Kukis alleging that they are being targeted with the support of state machinery. Manipur has witnessed violence for the past three months which has seen close to 150 deaths and burning down of about 4,500 houses.

Close to 57,000 people – both Meities and Kukis — are living in 361 relief camps across the state.

In his interaction, Shah said that efforts are on to bring both sides to the table. So far, he said, six rounds of talks have happened with Kuki and Meitei groups respectively – a total of 12 – and efforts are at an “advanced stage” to get both the communities together to discuss the roadmap ahead.

Shah said that many of these details were shared at the all-party meeting on June 24 and the Centre had not objected to anyone visiting the state.

There are positive straws in the wind, said a Home Ministry official. For one, there has been no casualty since July 17. While the Torbung-Kangvai axis between Bishnupur and Churachandpur still remains volatile with incidents of firing being reported on a daily basis, other fringe areas have reported only sporadic incidents of firing and arson.

The state government has opened schools which, Shah said, are registering an attendance of 82%, while the attendance in government offices has picked up to 72%.

A Home Ministry official claimed that the Opposition criticism of Modi not being concerned about Manipur was misplaced as the PM has been “constantly in touch” with Shah over the situation since the first phase of violence between May 3 and May 5 and has been monitoring developments closely.

Shah had spent three and a half days in Manipur between May 29 and June 1 during which he met over 40 groups, including Meitei and Kuki civil society organisations, politicians and senior officials. He had also visited hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi apart from relief camps of both communities.

It was during this visit that Shah appointed retired CRPF DG and advisor to Manipur government Kuldiep Singh as chief of the Unified Command to coordinate efforts of all security forces in an “unbiased” manner. He had also stationed MoS Home Nityanand Rai in the state for 22 days from May 25 to June 17.

To address the concerns of the Meitei population over illegal immigration from Myanmar, with which India shares a 1643-km border – 398 km in Manipur and 510 km in Mizoram — Shah had announced an operation to capture biometrics of all those who enter from Myanmar and list them in a “negative Aadhar” database. Barbed wire fencing along the border is also work in progress.

An official said that Manipur’s chequered history has seen several spells of violence. Most notably, in 1993, an estimated 750 had been killed in Naga-Kuki clashes and these had an impact over a decade from 1993 until 1998.

In August 1993, Minister of State for Home had spoken in Parliament and had visited the state for a few hours, the official said.